Revising policies to ensure continuous availability of high quality medication

In order to deduce medicinal standards, retain quality consistency for the medicine imported inside the country while increasing the required capacities for implementation, the President, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has decided to establish the necessary policies.

The president’s office stated that the policies determined by the President were established after considering recommendations from the cabinet following their negotiations on the paper submitted by the Ministry of Health yesterday.

In order to extend the 'Bulk Procurement' approach for pharmaceuticals purchases, the presidential office said that essential medicines will be obtained in bulk quantities.

The office added that under this new system, the cabinet has also decided to ensure the continuous availability of essential medications. The State Trading Organization (STO), tasked with the obtainment and provision of medicine, will ensure availability of these medicinal essentials from all healthcare facilities and pharmacies in all inhabited islands.

Furthermore, the decision to update and establish resources that increase the capacity to implement the policies of ensuring consistent medicinal standards and identifying the quality and quantity of the ingredients used in the production of medicine was also revealed by the office.

“It was resolved today that under this approach [Bulk Procurement], warehouses for storing the approved drugs and establishing a central monitoring system to monitor these warehouses using pioneering technologies will be established,” the President’s Office stated.

Health Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel had previously declared that in order to cease the import of low-quality medicine, MFDA has begun reviewing their principles to ensure high-standard medicine is imported into the country.